MOTORISTS in Coventry faced spot checks on Friday night as police began their Christmas drink driving campaign in earnest.

At 7pm a checkpoint was set up on the Stoney Stanton Road, at the junction with Hanford Close in Paradise, before moving on to other locations in the city.

And in less than 45 minutes officers had already stopped and checked 112 vehicles.

The checks came as road safety minister Jim Fitzpatrick launched the drink-drive THINK! campaign to cut the number of people injured or killed in drink-related accidents.

Figures have shown that more than 750 people were hurt in drink-driving accidents at weekends in Coventry and the West Midlands last year.

Some 770 people were injured - a third of these between 10pm and 3am and usually involving young men.

Sergeant Tim Rogers was heading up the operation in Coventry.

He said: "The figures speak for themselves.

"For some reason people do tend to behave themselves more in the run-up to Christmas, but that is because of the perceived increase in activity.

"Tonight we are speaking to every driver, telling them about the campaign, talking about drink-driving and, if we suspect anything, breathalysing them.

"I would rather that if people are going to get behind the wheel of a car they did not drink anything at all.

"These checks will be intensifying in the run-up to Christmas, on main arterial routes like this."

Coventry City Council is also behind the campaign and road safety officer Mel Statham said: "People are being really positive. I think the public are pleased to see the police and us out doing something.